Improvement in guard-rails for railroad-frogs



J. H'. LAKEY.

GUARD'RAILS FOR RAILROAD FROGS.

Patente March "28, 1876.

N4 PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAFNE UNIT D STATES PATENT QFFIG'E.

JOHN H. LAKEY, OF TURNER JUNCTION, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUARD-RAILS FOR RAlLROAD-FROG S.

Speoificatibn forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,357, dated March 28, 1876 application filed February 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. LAKEY, of

- Turner Junction, Du-Page' county, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Guard-Rails for Frogs, of which the following is a full description, reference bein had to the accom an 'iu drawin s in over easily by the action of passing trains.

The objects of my invention are to more securely fasten the guard-rails in place, and in a way which will permit the use 0f.a short rail; also, to till, or partly fill, the space between the guard-rail and the adjoining rail of the track, thereby lesseningthe danger of acci-. dents to brakemen and others resulting from the catching of their feet between the two.

I accomplish these objects by placing a suitable piece of wood between the guard-rail and the adjoining rail of the'track, andbolting the guard-rail to the rail of the track, the bolts passing through-the necks of both rails, and through the wood between them, dispensing with spikes between the two rails, but using them on the inside of the guard-rail.

In the drawings, A represents the outside rails of a double track; B, a frog of ordinary construction; 0, guard rails, one for each track; D, the ties; to, piece of plank or other wood, placed between the guardrail and the rail A. The top ot'a is below the tops of the rails farenough not to interfere with the flanges on the wheels. b are bolts which pass through the necks of the rails and through a, and firmly secure the wood a and the guard-rail O to the rail A. 0 are spikes on the inside of O.

No spikes are required between A and O for either rail. When secured as described,'a guard-rail six or seven feet long can be safely used,-

are secured as heretofore, is diflicult, as it is necessary to remove all the spikes from between thetwo rails, and then replace them. With my guard-rail it is' easy to make the change mentioned, the guard-rail, wood a, and rail A being all moved together.

A great saving of expense follows myconstruction in the length of guard-rail required, the number of spikes used, and in labor required to change the position of the rails,

Another advantage resulting is this: the woods a will all be made of uniform size, and hence the guard-rails will all be at a uniform distance from the rails A, which is desirable, and is not likely to be the case under the old method.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The guard-rail C, in combination with the rail A, and secured thereto by means of bolts b passing through the necks of the two rails,

and through a block or blockslocatcd between A aud O, substantially as and for the,

purposes specified.

- JOHN H. LAKEY.

Witnesses JAMES G. MILLS, O. W. BOND. 

